Background: We aimed to evaluate the impact of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on metabolic syndrome-related variables in obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Methods: Thirteen obese women with PCOS (Rotterdam criteria) who met the International Diabetes Federation criteria for metabolic syndrome and who qualified for RYGB were enrolled. Clinical examinations included ovarian ultrasonography and measurement of waist, hip, body mass index and blood pressure. Venous blood samples were taken at the visit before surgery to measure triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, fasting glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum progesterone, allopregnanolone, total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels. Six months after surgery, patients underwent the same examinations and provided blood samples to analyse the same variables.
Results: At 6 months after surgery, the metabolic syndrome-related variables improved in all patients, except in six patients with anovulatory menstrual cycles who still satisfied the criteria for metabolic syndrome. The metabolic variables normalised and serum progesterone and allopregnanolone levels increased in seven patients with ovulatory cycles. Testosterone and SHBG normalised in all patients at 6 months after surgery. Serum HDL and diastolic blood pressure did not change after surgery. Correlations were found among testosterone, progesterone, allopregnanolone, lipoproteins, triglyceride, fasting glucose and HbA1c levels, which was interpreted as progesterone and its metabolite allopregnanolone may contribute to metabolic abnormalities.
Conclusions: In PCOS patients, normalisation of metabolic dysfunction may be incomplete by 6 months after RYGB surgery, and the start of ovulatory menstrual cycles may indicate normalisation of metabolic dysfunction.
Keywords: Allopregnanolone; Metabolic syndrome; Polycystic ovarian syndrome; Progesterone; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.